For Those Who Have Heart
by Bluedragon312
Summary: After her family is killed in a Death Eater raid, Astoria Greengrass has been tasked by her sister's dying wish to find Harry Potter and collect a Debt incurred to her house.  But Potter's busy looking for Horcruxes, and is nowhere to be found. HP/AG AU
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Don't Own Harry Potter

Summary: Following her sister's dying wish, Astoria Greengrass seeks Harry Potter. A DH fiction.

A/N: This is kind of a "Test the Waters" fiction, so it would do me a kindness to see how you people respond to a story where Harry's not the predominant protagonist. At least, not yet, because we all know what Harry's up to right now.

Prologue: A Debt

_" And we fight back the tears. And we lose our fears. And the World remain in Silence for awhile." The Silence_ Gamma Ray, "_Heading for Tomorrow"._

" Mother! Father! I'm back from….wait? Where is everyone?"

Astoria entered her family's Manor, to a strange, heavy silence that spoke volumes. Something bad had happened. What it was, she could only guess. But that was taken off her mind as soon as she entered the foyer. Blood was smeared everywhere. It looked like something out of a horror film.

She drew her wand, and carefully advanced through the rooms. Her family manor had been designed as a defense mechanism in its own right. If you didn't know the way through, then it could be a maze. Astoria felt she should call out for someone, but she worried that the assailants were still there. She found her parents' room, and they weren't in them. She began to get a sinking feeling in her stomach. She began to move to her sister's room. _Daphne will know what's going on._ She thought as she ran as fast as she could through the hall ways.

She found her sister's room, which was always helpfully marked by a small motif of a flower. She knocked, and no one answered. _Ok, this is bad. What's going on here?_ She opened the door. Her eyes went wide as she took in the scene.

There was blood everywhere. Written on the wall were the words, " _Filthy blood traitors!"_

That cued Astoria that they had been attacked by Death Eaters who had decided not to set the Mark off over the house. Astoria felt stuffy. She called out, " Daphne? Where are you sis?"

A cough got her attention. Her sister's voice called out, " Astoria? Is that you?"

" Yes! What happened? Where are you?"

" Closet….."

Astoria ran over to the only closet in her sister's room, and pulled it open. A mass of blonde hair tumbled out. Astoria caught her taller sister with some effort. She carried her over to the bed, and laid her down on it. That's when she noticed the silver knife in her gut, and the burn marks on Daphne's arms. Her blonde hair was burnt black at the ends. Astoria felt tears beginning to form, " Daph! What happened? How did…"

Daphne caughed, " As…Astoria, be quiet and listen to me. Mother and father are dead. So are Uncle Tobias and Aunt Lisa. Our whole family's gone Tori."

" No…No…that's impossible. How?"

Daphne smiled sadly, " That bastard Malfoy wanted father to sell me to him, and you to the Dark Lord himself."

" W-W-What?"

" Yes, Tori, Lucius wanted Father to sell us into being sex slaves. But he didn't. Said he swore on my mother's grave he would never sell his daughters like cattle at the auction."

That's when Astoria remembered that she and Daphne were only half-sisters. Daphne's mother had died in childbirth, lasting long enough to name her. Darrien Greengrass, their father, had remarried to Syrenne Royeaux, a French noble woman he had met while visiting his father. That's where Astoria got her icy blue eyes from, versus the normal Greengrass Green or Steel Grey. She was also a bit shorter than most Greengrasses. She'd envied the elegance and almost princess look of her sister many times. Astoria asked, " The Dark Lord himself?"

" Yes, you were to bear the Dark Lord's Heir."

She hissed in revulsion. She'd never seen the one called Voldemort, but descriptions from everyone described him as a snake construct at best. His followers said he was beautiful, but those who didn't follow him were smarter. He was hideous. She clenched her legs slightly at the thought of that creature….

She shook her head, " Is that why they attacked?"

" Y-Yes,", Daphne answered with a fit of coughs. Astoria looked at the blood flowing from the knife wound, " Daphne, I need to get you to St. Mungo's. Somewhere, if we don't you're going to…"

Daphne held up a hand, " There's nothing you can do, Astoria. I'm dying, and you can't save me. That knife has poison in it."

It took a few seconds for that to sink in, and when it did, Astoria lost her composure, crying, " Daphne! I can't let you die! Mum and dad are dead, and if you die….then I'll have no one left."

Daphne raised her hand weakly, " Calm down Astoria."

" CALM DOWN?"

" Yes, calm down Astoria. My time's running short, so we have to make this quick. Do you know Harry Potter?"

Astoria looked at her sister incredulously, " Depends. I know what he looks like, but that's about it."

" Good enough. House Potter owes House Greengrass a small debt from years ago. If you can find Potter, call in what is called a Debt of Bones."

Astoria gasped. A Debt of Bones was a debt incurred from an assassination contract. Generally, if it wasn't paid, then the assassins would kill those who made the contract. Family lore wasn't exactly Astoria's favorite subject, being more Daphne's strong suit, but she had heard that the Greengrass family had once been a family of assassins. It was how they got their name. Green grass always grew on the tombs of those killed by the Greengrass family. " W-what do I have to do after that?"

Daphne winced, " He probably won't know what you're talking about, but a flash of magic will reveal it. State your wish, and he will have to grant it to the best of his ability. If he doesn't, then a bounty will be placed on his head. Potter's good, but I doubt he could handle professional killers. "

Astoria wiped some tears away from her eyes, " But what should I ask for?"

Daphne chuckled weakly, causing her to grab at her waist in pain. She gathered herself, " You want sanctuary. Astoria, you're the last of the Greengrasses. If you die, our fortune and our land will go to our nearest of kin outside of the family! You know who that is right?"

Astoria's eyes widened slightly. That would be the Notts, via Daphne's mother's line, a decidedly Dark Family that would certainly use the Greengrass fortune, almost as great as the Malfoys, though small compared to the Potters and Blacks, to fund the Dark Lord's continued rise to power. Plus, it would give several of the Families, particularly the Malfoys, Notts, and Runcorns, great satisfaction to see the family that had stonewalled them for years destroyed. She winced, " The Notts would ruin us."

Daphne smiled, " I don't know where Potter's going to be, but a good bet he will be with that Mudblood fool Granger and blood traitor Weasley. I don't use those terms lightly, so you know they must be bad for me to refer to them as such. The Weasleys live in a hovel called the Burrow, which is somewhere in Ottery St. Catchpole. That's a twenty minute walk from here at most. Potter's the only person who can defeat the Dark Lord ."

Astoria sniffled a little, " B-But it's raining and quite cold. I…"

" You have to go Astoria. They might come back to…finish me off. Though I think I'll be dead by then."

Astoria stiffened, " You shouldn't talk like that, sis."

" Why not? It's the truth Tori. You can't help me."

Astoria pleaded, " No… you, you can't die sis. Not…not now."

" We don't choose when we die Astoria."

Astoria began to cry in earnest again. She looked at her dying sister, and began to examine the knife. She sobbed, " That's….that's Bellatrix Lestrange's mark. I recognize her seal."

" Yeah, Bella got me. Don't worry, sis. Where I'm going, I won't be feeling pain anymore…."

Daphne took a shuddering breath, and her eyes rolled up into her head. Astoria felt her hands begin to chill, and a dark pallor enveloped her sister. A brief sigh emitted from Daphne, and she moved no more. Astoria felt her heart being crushed. Her sister was dead. Her family was dead. She felt like doing nothing more than falling back and crying herself to sleep. Was this how Potter felt?

_Potter,_ she thought through her despair, _that bastard better be worth the trouble. But…why would Daphne suddenly want to cash in an old debt? Is it even possible…_ Astoria walked over to where she knew her sister had kept her diary. Having stolen it many times, and had Daphne return the favor many times as well, she pretty much knew where it was like the back of her hand. She tapped the combination on the dresser, and the small compartment popped open. The diary looked like an ordinary school textbook, no doubt a wrinkle Daphne had thrown in to make Astoria's next theft more interesting. She cracked the lock open, and began to read the latest passage. She gasped in surprise.

Her sister had apparently taken a liking to Potter in the recent years. She'd written him a few times, but the letters were always returned with the label of DO NOT CONTACT written on them. It appeared she had figured out that Potter had a Mail Ward up, and that he only accepted contact from certain people. But one of her letters had gotten through before the end of summer. Or at least it hadn't been returned. Astoria took the diary. She muttered, " I'll find Potter, sis. No matter what. And I'll get revenge."

Astoria wrenched the dagger out of her sister's stomach, and began to clean it off, careful not to accidently cut herself. She thought, _I'll kill Lestrange, and I'll kill her with this dagger._ Astoria threw the dagger with force at the wall, hitting the small leaf dead center. She smiled to herself, at least her throwing skills hadn't weakened over the years. Her father may have sworn to both Daphne and Astoria's mothers that he would never sell them into a contract, but that didn't mean he still didn't observe a lot of Pureblood traditions. The most prominent being that his daughters spent most of their time learning etiquette and tradition, rather than exercising or most physical activities. Dart throwing, running, and maybe a little bit of fencing were about as active as they could get. Some of the older, more traditional families required a little more physical proof that the wife was still a virgin than just a charm or their word….

Astoria went to her room, and got out a heavy traveler's cloak and hood. She took a couple of sets of spare clothes as well, the silver dress she was wearing now wouldn't last very long if she ended up being a little more adventurous. She walked back to her sister's room, and looked at Daphne. If it weren't for her eyes open in perpetual stare, then she would look almost peaceful. Astoria compared herself pitifully to Daphne.

Astoria took a look in Daphne's mirror. Astoria herself couldn't look any different from the sister she looked up to and clung to if she tried. Daphne looked somewhat like an angel. Golden blonde hair, steely grey eyes, pale, soft skin, almost perfect form, Astoria found it hard to live in the shadow of the Slytherin Ice Princess.

If her sister was the Ice Princess of Slytherin, Astoria had her own nickname. The Living Ghost. She was ghastly pale, like she had never been outside, with her black, sleek, crow's hair falling just past her shoulders. Her vibrant, yet icy blue eyes staring up eerily in stark contrast to the rest of her features. Even her physical gifts paled in comparison to others. The Greengrass' were notoriously early bloomers, with Daphne fighting even Fifth and Sixth years when she was eleven over her figure. Astoria was small, three inches shorter than her sister, and was far less physically impressive as well. Some even wondered if she were adopted, because she had no recognizable traits of the Greengrass family.

She sobbed softly for a few more minutes, before taking her sister's wand and using to shrink a small trunk with what she needed and placed it in her robe pocket. She slung the cloak on, and brought the hood up. Hopefully she wouldn't be mistaken as a Death Eater, but it was a real possibility.

She stepped out into the now driving rain, and noticed immediately how cold and penetrating it was. She turned around and saw the Greengrass Manor go up in magical flames. This wasn't going to be a fun trip. Astoria couldn't Apparate, and she didn't have a broom. Floo was being monitored, so walking was truly the only way. The wind and rain seeped through the cloak, and began to dampen her clothes. She already had a bit of cold from allergies anyway, this was only making it worse. About twenty minutes later, she entered the village of Ottery St. Catchpole.

Her chest began to tighten. Not a good sign. A burst of coughing later, she was walking into a stiff headwind as she began moving again. She was at the outskirts of town when she heard the sounds of battle. She ran towards it, and quickly hid. She saw some Death Eaters quickly retreating out, and to her anger, saw Lucius Malfoy heading them up. _If they're going to run and kill, they could at least stand and fight when the enemy fights back. Well, that's kind of Gryffindor isn't it? _she thought angrily, trying to aim a curse, but being in the cool rain for almost an hour was causing her to shiver. The Death Eaters apparated out, and voices began to fill her ears when she lost consciousness.

-5-2-5-26-6-7-27-8-8-8-99-29-2-5-6-4-655-6-57-58-8-8-679-9-97-86-75-67-567-56-756-7-567-567-567-567-45-7045-67-67-67-567-5-67-67-56-7-67-567-6-7-67-567-7-47-47-56-567-6-567-66-6-6-6-6-6

( Arthur)

" Is everyone ok?" Arthur asked of his tired and worn out family. Charlie nodded, and the Twins smiled. Molly cried out, " Ron, Harry, and Hermione are gone!"

Arthur sighed, " I expected that Harry would be leaving soon. Plus I heard him arguing with them the other day. Something about Hallows and Horcruxes, whatever those are. Did the Delacours get out safely?"

Ginny frowned, " Yes, though Fleur took a cutter, and her mother was hit with a Bone Breaker. But they'll be fine. Bill left with them, as you can figure, being newlywed and all that."

Just then, Arthur and Charlie frowned together, " The wards just pinged. I think someone's following up the Death Eaters. Me, Charlie, and the Twins will handle it."

The Weasley patriarch led his sons out into the chilly rain. Funny how it was raining now, when naught but two hours ago, it was sunny and warm. They walked towards the edge of the village, when Charlie shouted, " I've got something!"

Arthur and the Twins ran over, and found Charlie standing over someone in a heavy traveler's cloak, with a hood pulled over their head. Charlie flipped the body over, and the pale face of a rather pretty, though not knock you off your feet beautiful, teenager was revealed. Charlie fired a weak cutter at the left sleeve, and it revealed she wasn't a Death Eater. Charlie looked up at his father, " This girl's in bad health, Arthur. Look at how pale she is."

Arthur agreed, " She looks like death incarnate. But she's no older than fifteen at best, why's she out here?"

Fred grumbled, " I don't know, but she might be a Death Eater in disguise. I don't trust her."

George seconded that opinion. Charlie, however, didn't, " Look at the insignia on her cloak. Isn't that the seal of House Greengrass?"

Charlie was pointing at a small, but extremely ornate green leaf on the back of the cloak. Arthur sighed, " Greengrass Manor was attacked this morning, before the wedding. I think this should put to rest any doubts."

Fred and George weren't dissuaded, " But father! That might just mean she joined the Death Eaters to live!"

Arthur sternly spoke, " Enough you two. Let's get her up to the house. Frankly, I'm surprised we even have a house anymore. But once Harry left, they left. Weird right?"

The Twins levitated the unconscious girl behind them with scowls, but obeyed nonetheless. A few moments later, Molly Weasley was yelling at her husband, " What are you doing bringing random people into the house Arthur?"

" Molly, the girl needs help period. Plus, she has to be a Greengrass, and their manor was attacked this morning. I heard that the entire family was killed."

Ginny took a look at the girl, " That's Astoria Greengrass. She's a Hogwarts year behind me, she's probably about to turn fifteen if she hasn't already."

Molly looked at Astoria, " Merlin she's so pale. What's wrong with her?"

Ginny sighed, " She's always really pale. No one knows why, but they call her the Living Ghost of Slytherin for a reason. I've only seen her a couple of times."

Fred laughed, " I guess nicknames are popular amongst the Greengrass family. Remember when we tried to get Daphne to go to the Yule Ball with one of us? Thought she was going to kill me and Forge over there."

George replied, " Daphne was the Ice Princess of Slytherin for a reason. Of course, that didn't stop cock hard guys like us from trying to get in her pants…"

" Lord knows she was gorgeous enough. Looks like her sister didn't come quite as…"

" Gifted, but she'd do in a pinch. Maybe if she were older."

Arthur testily cut them off, " Enough boys. She's probably the last of her family. Kingsley said they found the Greengrass Manor on fire right after the Wedding was interrupted. Shame the Ministry has fallen. The Dark Lord's in power now, all we can do is hide. Hopefully Ron's little prank about being sick to run off with Harry and Hermione will work."

Molly looked a little more closely at Astoria, " Arthur, I think this girl is sick though. She may be naturally pale, but she's flushed and it looks like she's had a bad cough for a while. Listen to her breathing. Sounds all raspy and broken. She might have what Muggles call Bronchitis or some other breathing problem."

Astoria muttered in her sleep, " Daph….don't leave me with….."

Molly pulled out her cauldron, " Well, better get to work on some potions for her. It isn't safe to contact anyone else, so I'm going to have to do the lifting I guess."

Fred chuckled, " She's muttering in her sleep…reminds me of ickle Harry."

Molly chastised Fred, " Fred! Don't joke about Harry's nightmares!"

Fred grinned, " Sorry mother!"

A coughing fit got their attention, and blue eyes fluttered open, " Where? Where am I?"

Arthur said, " At the Burrow, Home of the Weasleys."

" W-W-Weasleys? Daphne was right?"

George jeered, " Our little ghost seems to be muttering incoherently, me thinks Fred."

" Me thinks you is right, Georgey boy. "

Astoria muttered, " Please stop idiots…"

" Oh, little ghosty has fangs."

Molly stepped in, " Stop it you two. Don't you have a shop you need to be running?"

Fred and George gaped at their mother's sudden dismissal. Arthur pointed out, " You probably should be getting back to that shop of yours."

Astoria jerked her head up, " Where is Harry Potter?"

Everyone in the room suddenly darkened. Arthur commented, " We aren't at liberty to discuss it, primarily because we don't exactly know where he is at this time, but also because we wouldn't break his trust like that anyway. Why are you looking for him?"

" My sister told me to seek him out. She said that he would help me if I could find him."

Arthur narrowed his eyes, " And what help do you need so desperately that you would go searching for Harry Potter?"

" I-I can't really discuss it. It's a family matter between my house and his. Did he receive a letter from my sister this summer?"

Charlie spoke up, " A Barn Owl arrived bearing a letter, but I couldn't tell if Harry trusted the sender. I never gave him the letter, though it should still be around here somewhere."

" Th-then Potter never knew then did he? About…."

Charlie frowned, " About what?"

Fred shouted, " I bet the Ice Princess was secretly lusting after our little Golden Boy!"

Astoria looked kind of nervous, but answered, " That, and that his House owes mine a debt. Daphne told me her dying wish was for me to seek sanctuary with Harry Potter, because only he has the ability to defeat the Dark Lord."

Arthur saw Ginny grimace, and she mouthed to her father, "_How does she know?"_

He looked down, " I don't know how you would know about that. Dumbledore assured us and everyone else involved that it was a well kept secret. "

" Only because it's obvious. Why else would the Dark Lord, who's supposedly the most powerful wizard in the world now that Dumbledore is dead, try to kill a one year old, and FAIL? And how many times has he tried to kill Potter now? At least once a year? Daphne may have been secretive about her infatuation with Harry Potter, but she made sure to collect all of the tales."

Ginny looked at her father inquisitively, " That's odd, I never heard anything about the Ice Princess even acknowledging Harry's existence, much less harboring a crush on him."

Fred rubbed his sister's head, " Sounds like you there, Ickle Gin Gin."

Arthur headed off a typical Weasley brawl with a, " Quiet you three. We have more important things than Weasley feuding. Now, how did you know where to find us?"

" I didn't. All I knew is what me and Daphne overheard from Potter talking loudly. He explicitly said that the Burrow was somewhere near Ottery St. Catchpole, and that you could find it by looking for a small garden, and an apple orchard not far away. I guess I was in the orchard?"

Arthur frowned, " Close enough I guess. The wedding was in the actual orchard, but you were close enough for our wards to ping when you passed out."

" I got lucky. Just like I did with my family. I only lived because I was coming home from a friend's house and she was within walking distance…."

Arthur looked down on her, " This is unfortunate. But we can't let you go on looking for Harry. Plus, Harry's kind of like Dumbledore was. You only find him when he wants you to find him."

" That's a shame, but I can't just stay here. I have to find him. "

Molly came in and gave the girl a Sleep potion, albeit a little forcefully. After Astoria had fallen into sleep, Molly asked, " Arthur, this girl sure knows a lot about Harry that ordinary people shouldn't know. I can guarantee that it took more than guesswork for her to figure some of this out. Charlie gave me that letter. I can't believe a Slytherin, and a Greengrass at that, would have taken a fancy to Harry, but it certainly appears that Astoria's sister was positively smitten by him. I wonder why?"

Arthur mused, " You've got me stumped too, because for all my knowledge, Ron did a fair job of making sure Harry thought all Slytherins, beautiful or not, were evil. While I am not of the same opinion, it was as Dumbledore saw best. "

" She expresses frustration that none of her letters ever got through. I guess that would be the Mail Ward that Dumbledore placed on Privet Drive?"

Arthur nodded, " Yep. All mail sent to Harry not from an approved source was redirected to Dumbledore, who would then determine if it were safe for it to be forwarded. I remember Bill throwing a fit because he had wanted to take Harry on an expedition to South America, but the letter he sent Harry never got to him because of Dumbledore's ward. "

Charlie commented, " I never knew Bill wanted to take Harry on an expedition. Oh well, I guess the opportunity didn't wait for Dumbledore's approval."

" Well, based off of what Bill said the expedition was like, it wasn't worth it. Anyway, we need to do something about this girl. We hardly know her, and we can't just let her stay here now can we?"

Arthur looked at Molly, " She can use the Twins' old room. If anything, I'm all for keeping her here just to see what she's going to do."

Charlie nodded, " I agree with father. We need to keep an eye on her. But she's a pureblood, so the Death Eaters will likely be looking for her to return to Hogwarts."

" She's supposed to be dead, so I doubt they will be looking for her. But what will Ginny think? She doesn't seem to like her very much."

Ginny walked into the room, apparently hearing what had just been said, " Of course I don't like her! One: She's a Slytherin. Means snake in the grass. I wouldn't trust her anywhere near Harry. Two: This is the Living Ghost of Slytherin. Besides being about as pale as a ghost, she's known for not exactly being popular in school. The only boy who's ever paid any attention to her is Draco. And we know what he is."

Charlie jeered, " Sure you aren't just worried she'll be competing with you over Harry?"

Ginny flushed the famous Weasley red, " What was that Charlie?"

" You heard me."

" I'll have you know that I'm completely over Harry!"

" That's not what Ron said."

Arthur cut in, " Knock it off you two."

They both shouted at Arthur, " Butt out!"

Molly hissed, " Take your argument outside if anything. It wouldn't do for the girl to wake up to hear you two arguing now would it?"

The two sighed, but went outside, where the shouting match began. Arthur commented, " Put up a Silence Charm on the walls. I can still hear them."

Molly laughed as she did so, " Ginny really likes Harry. And I'm pretty sure Harry really likes her. Strange isn't it though? I always thought Harry would like Hermione."

Arthur chortled, " Yeah, I would have too. But does it matter? At this rate, our family will have all three of the Golden Trio. Ron and Hermione have gotten pretty close since Dumbledore's funeral. "

" I noticed that too. Strange isn't it? Ginny always told us that Ron tormented her and made her upset."

Arthur shrugged, " Well, it's their lives and not ours. They live as they choose. I just hope Harry doesn't do something really stupid out there on that hunt they're on. What did we hear Hermione call them? Horcruxes? What sort of evilness is that?"

" I have no idea Arthur. But even the name is foul. If You-Know-Who made them, then they have to be equally foul and evil."

Arthur nodded, " I agree. Anyway, let's head up to bed and hope those idiots have stopped their bickering. We can let Astoria sleep on the couch today."

With that, the two left, and a few moments later, their red faced children came in, both showing signs of random hexes and jinxes. They washed up and went to bed. After all the commotion settled down, Astoria sat up, muttering, " Damn that potion was weak. Guess being an insomniac comes in handy."

She looked around the dark house, " Guess Daphne was right about them being poor. This place looks worse than the storage vault at the Manor. At least it's clean. Somewhat."

She mused over her eavesdropping, " That woman doesn't know it, but Horcruxes are bad news, especially for people trying to destroy them. They always have innate defenses. Shame I couldn't find that book again before father ran in on me. Wonder if Potter knows how to destroy them? If he doesn't, he's in trouble. Basilisk venom, fiendfyre, and Soul fire do the trick nicely, but Basilisk venom's rare, and only idiots practice Soul Fire and risk burning their souls into oblivion. Potter probably thinks he's above FiendFyre, so he's probably just walking around with one around his neck or some stupidity."

She didn't know how close she was to being right, because Harry was currently plotting how to get the Locket in Grimmauld Place. She began to cough, reminding her that she was probably falling ill because of walking in the rain for so long. She pulled out the little trinket, and enlarged the little trunk. She changed out of her muddy and wet traveler's clothes, and into something a little more casual. She wondered if staying with these Weasleys was a good idea? They didn't seem to be the most cunning or vigilant family in the world. Based on what she had overheard, neither was Granger, and it was likely that they would eventually come across Potter's whereabouts. She sighed, and smoothed the skirt she had changed into. She lay back down after shrinking the trunk with her sister's wand and tried to go to sleep. It only took four hours and was plagued with nightmares.

A/N: I'm perfectly aware that there's maybe 20 Harry/Astoria stories on the FF site, and I've only run across two that actually have a plot, and none of them have been updated in the last two years.

Early Bloomers: It actually isn't that unusual for women to go into puberty around 11 or 12. ( Bioengineer people, so I know these things.)

A Debt of Bones: Certainly people who've read that book will notice some similarities between this story and that novel. As such, you probably have a good idea what's going to happen, but if you do, I ask you not reveal it in a review.

Daphne Sue?: Shouldn't matter much anyway, because she's dead, but as a returning point, Astoria feels rather inferior to her half-sister. Not in a Ron " I'm Jealous as a motherfucka" way, but in a way that she always feels Daphne could have done it better than her.

How does Astoria know about Horcruxes?: Greengrasses are a somewhat powerful Pureblood family with both Light and Dark roots ( at least neutral), so it would make sense they would maybe have a book that might say something about them in their Family Library. In this story, their background is that they were a family of assassins, so they would likely have to know how to destroy them in the event they were hired to kill a Dark Wizard that used them.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 1 Return of the Weasley

A/N: For everyone to know, this is three months after the last chapter (or so I guess would be when Ron returns).

Hushpuppy22 seemed to take issue to the lack of so called Warnings in the summary and decided to waste his time with a review. If you can't really tell by the fact that this story isn't even written Harry's POV that this is an Alternate Universe, told via a person who has radically different opinions of Harry's friends, then perhaps you should just stick to the books then eh? It's actually pretty difficult to fit a good summary into 250 characters so….

With that in mind, there is some Ron bashing in this chapter. But it's really only an exaggeration ( perhaps even an accurate representation) of what I think their reactions would have been to Ron abandoning Harry and Hermione.

" RONALD BILLIUS WEASLEY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING BACK HERE?"

Astoria woke up with a grumble, she'd only just fallen asleep a couple of hours ago. _Cursed insomnia, and I can't risk becoming dependent on sleep potions_ she thought with a growl. She pulled a shirt on, and walked out into the growing storm of yelling. She decided to hide in the corner of the stairs.

She'd never seen Mr. Weasley that angry before in the entire time she'd been there. Based on what the other Weasleys said, this was a first for them too. His hair was almost standing up, and accidental magic was rolling off of him like he was a teenager throwing a tantrum.

Astoria had only a few times seen Ronald Weasley, but it didn't take a genius to know he was the last and least of the Weasley Bros. A mixture of all the bad traits of the Weasley clan, such as ill temper, jealousy, etc, with only a few good mixed in such as comedy and strategy, Ron was really easy to not like. Being a fifth year this year, she'd been around long enough to know about his famous spat with Harry Potter during her second year. The Slytherins had been very amused by the little tantrum Weasley had thrown, trashing his name even more than it already was. It was about this time that Daphne's journal said she had begun to develop feelings for Potter.

Mr. Weasley shouted, " Cowardice is not tolerated in this household! Get out of this house now!"

Ron protested, " But I have nowhere else to go! I can't go to Hogwarts, they'll kill me!"

Arthur grumbled, " Then we have a bit of a problem then don't we?"

Astoria walked slowly into the room, trying not to get noticed by Ron. It didn't work.

" HEY! Who's that?"

She groaned when Ron pointed at her. Arthur covered nicely, " She's…well..she's a temporary guest of the family."

Astoria frowned as Ron continued to fuss, " I've never seen her before! Is she Charlie's new screw?"

Astoria replied, " No, I'm not Charlie's new screw, if that's what you call your brother's girlfriend. Like your father said, I'm a temporary guest of your family. Better get used to me."

Ron chided, " Who are you?"

Arthur intervened, " Someone who is welcome at this house, which YOU are NOT at this time. Such cowardice I've never seen before in my life…"

" So what happened?"

Molly came in, flushed an even deeper version of the normal Weasley red, " Ronald here ran out on his friends in the middle of something important. Feels it wasn't his responsibility to stick with his best friends through thick and thin. Gives this family a bad name he does."

_You mean worse than you already have? Wait I shouldn't be thinking that about the family that's been kind enough to help me these last few months_ Astoria immediately thought. Luckily, unlike Ron, she knew how to think before she spoke. She decided to see if she could use this to her advantage. " Ron? Where were you last when you ran out on Potter?"

Ron glared, " Why do you care?"

" Because it's rather important, and let's just say that Harry will have more to worry about than just Death Eaters if he doesn't help me."

Ron continued to glare, and began inching his hand towards his wand, " Is that a threat to Harry?"

" No, it's reality for Harry. His house owes mine a Debt of Bones."

Arthur choked on the pumpkin juice he was trying to drink to calm himself. He sputtered, " A Debt of Bones? Those stopped a long time ago!"

" Listen, I don't know all the details, but apparently House Potter contracted House Greengrass to carry out an assassination for them. They never paid for it."

Ron stuttered, " Wait? You're a Greengrass? I thought they were all dead."

Astoria darkened, " Yeah, thanks for reminding me about how my sister, my parents, and all my aunts and uncles are all dead."

Ron looked repentant, " Sorry."

Astoria glared at Ron, " My name's Astoria."

Ron lost his look, " You're Malfoy's little tart aren't you?"

Mrs. Weasley's hand to Ron's face beat Astoria's hand to her wand, " RONALD WEASLEY!"

Astoria hissed at Ron, " I am NOT Malfoy's little tart as you so nicely put it. I was his way of trying to get to my sister, like so many other cock strong idiots at our school."

That wasn't entirely true, Astoria had liked Malfoy a little, if only for the fact that he paid more attention to her than Daphne. But, like so many times in her life, she always had an inkling that Malfoy was just trying to get to her sister. After all, it wasn't exactly a secret that Draco was one of Daphne's most frequent turndowns.

Ron frowned, feeling the side of his face from his mother's slap, " Bloody hell that hurt. But anyway, bloody Slytherin you are."

" And there's a problem with that?"

Ron muttered, " Well, aren't you all supposed to be evil or something?"

" Not really, only idiots like Malfoy and his cronies are evil. Though for a house that prides itself on cunning, we've had our fair share of explosive arguments in the common room lately."

Ron chuckled, " Sounds like the Gryffindor Common Room. Me, Harry, and Hermione have had some…interesting rows there. Like the one about Harry's Potions book last year, that was a good one."

" You mean the three of you argued about a damn textbook? What are you? Nerds?"

Ron laughed, " I wish. Hermione was jealous of Harry's sudden ability in Potions class, and decided to try and find out what was going on. Your sister was in our class, I'm surprised you didn't already know about that. We had some rather fitful arguments in Slughorn's class too."

Astoria sighed, " My sister wasn't a very social person to begin with, Ron. It only got worse after her best friend left her to go to America."

Ron looked sad, " Damn that sucks. What happened?"

Astoria explained, " You so nicely called me Draco's little tart, but in reality, he was just trying to get at my sister. Malfoy was one of her most frequent suitors, and thus, most frequently scorned as well. You of all people should know that Draco doesn't take kindly to not getting what he wants. They had arguments many times. Some of them tended to get violent, and one caused Daphne's friend Tracey to transfer to Salem Witches Academy in America.

"Daphne hadn't liked to talk about it, but apparently Crabbe and Goyle had hurt Tracey in a way that may have affected Tracey's ability to have children. Something about her pelvis being shattered and heavy internal scarring. It led to a memorable confrontation between the two in the Slytherin Common room for all to see, me included.

"Long story short, Tracey blamed Daphne being a prude for her injuries, and demanded reparations. That led to a rather explosive use of magic and swear words that had the First years crying. And like that, she left. They hadn't been in contact for almost a year prior to Daphne's death. That had saddened my older sister greatly. Daphne never was very social, and she got even worse after that. "

Ron swore angrily, " Damn. That reminds me of Harry when I was in Fourth Year and everyone thought Harry had entered himself into the Tri-Wizard Tournament, myself included. Then again, I have a reputation for being a prat."

" It's rather well founded you know."

Ron sent her a withering gaze, " Gee thanks. But I guess the truth doesn't hurt."

" The truth is a weapon that can be manipulated like any other. It can also hurt far more than fear."

Ron was about to answer when his father came bustling in, " Bill and Fleur said they'll take you in. Granted, he isn't happy either, and Fleur said something's that even Molly wouldn't repeat, but they will take you in. Get your stuff together. The Connection won't hold much longer."

Astoria held a hand up, " One question. Ron, what do horcruxes have to do with the Dark Lord?"

Ron was shocked, " I-I can't say. I've been sworn to secrecy."

" Tell me what you can then. Potter's a dumbass for thinking the world's his apple to save, no matter what anyone says."

Ron grumbled, " We tried to tell him that too, but it seems he is more stubborn than most. Ok, it won't hurt to tell you what we think we know. Harry's got Slytherin's Locket, and it changes the moods of anyone who wears it. Me, Harry, and Hermione took turns, and we were always really surly wearing it. We think that Hufflepuff's Cup is in Gringotts. As for the Diadem? No idea. We do know that the Snake is with the Dark Lord himself. Oh, and be sure to not use his name. It's been Tabooed, something I found out the hard way."

Astoria frowned, " The one in Gringotts should be easy. A Horcrux is a Class 10 Dark Object. Rated: Potential Catastrophe. The Goblins could be evicted from Gringotts and Bound for keeping such a dark object in the bank without making an honest attempt to destroy it, assuming they know of it. If they don't, then I intend to bring it to their attention. I think it would make sense that Bellatrix Lestrange would keep it. She's insane, but she's also the Dark Lord's most trusted servant."

Ron looked at the pale girl in amazement, " How did you figure this all out? Me, Harry, and Hermione been trying for MONTHS to figure out where the Cup is. And I've never heard of a law like that."

Astoria laughed, " No offense, Ronald Weasley, but you and your family are known as Blood Traitors for a reason, Granger is a Muggleborn with skewed views, and Potter's just an idiot with hero notions. Don't deny it, you know it's the truth."

Ron gaped, but he knew she was right. She could see it in his eyes. Ron finally found his voice, " You sure you don't want to join Harry and his merry brigade of warriors?"

" Hey Ron, your village just called. They want their idiot back."

Arthur laughed, " And that Village is Peach Cottage. Now, say good bye Ron, and we will be seeing each other later."

With that, Mr. Weasley forced Ron through the Floo. He stood up, dusting his hands, " Now then, that's over. You said something about Gringotts?"

" Yeah, appears one of Potter's Holy Grail artifacts is there. I need to get there with arousing suspicion."

Mr. Weasley whispered, " Use our Floo to Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes. Go to Gringotts, ask for Griphook. He's the only Goblin we know for a fact is on our side."

She nodded and stepped into the Floo, shouting, " Weasleys Wizarding Wheezes!"

5-1-1-6-6-7-79945-9456-945-6945-964-596-45964-596-45964-596-4956-4956-4956-9456-4956-4956-4956-9456-956-4956-4956-4956-4956-9456-4596-4956-9456-94569-435-6945-964-5964-59634-654-56

( WWW)

She came out of the Floo, with Fred Weasley staring at her. She asked, " What?"

Fred raised a curious eyebrow, " Father doesn't normally send things via our Connection. Generally because the Floo's being watched. So, what can I get you? One of our patented Day Dreams?"

She frowned, " No thanks. I've got business in Gringotts. But maybe on the way back."

Fred beamed as he helped her to the door. He opened it, and muttered, " Have a nice day beautiful."

She blushed slightly at his banter, but for the most part ignored him. She walked out into the sunny day, but made sure to keep her head covered. It wouldn't do for her to attract unnecessary attention. Especially from the Death Eaters sure to be roaming the streets. She approached Gringotts and walked in. Once in, she saw a Manager with the tag Griphook. She walked over to his desk and removed her hood.

The goblin sneered, " What can I do for you Miss?"

Astoria whispered, " I'd like to report a Class 10 Dark Artifact in the Lestrange Vaults."

Griphook paled, an interesting reaction. He whispered fitfully, " What is this object?"

Astoria whispered, passing a small list, " It is called a Horcrux, used by the Dark Lord to harbor a piece of his soul. I believe it to be in a small chalice with the Hufflepuff Seal."

Griphook instantly brightened, " Ah! I remember that transaction. Thought it was kind of strange that there was a sudden transaction from the Riddle Vaults to the Lestrange Vaults and all that was within was a little cup. This will be rectified. The charge will come from..?"

Astoria lowered her hood slightly, " Greengrass Vaults."

Griphook smirked, " Nice to see they haven't lost their edge after all these years. I will return momentarily."

Griphook left and Astoria suddenly had a bad feeling of intense foreboding. Sure enough, it wasn't Griphook who returned. It was the Goblin King Ragnok, a regal looking Goblin who was almost as tall as the average teenage human. He spoke, " Ms. Greengrass, I would like to report success on the operation you performed. But…,", as he spoke, Goblin Warriors began to advance into the room, " It has cost me the services of one of my best. I'm afraid that in exchange for his life, yours must now be taken."

Astoria paled (if possible), " Wh-What?"

Ragnok smirked, " Manager Griphook has died, and now you too, must pay the price. Surrender, and we will make it quick. If you fight, then your death will be painful."

Astoria looked around and sighed in frustration. Surrounded by goblin warriors wearing rather intimidating looking armor. She hissed, " I'm not at fault here. If your goblin made a mistake and died because of it, then I am not at fault."

Ragnok laughed loudly, " That's rich. You should know better than that around Goblins, Miss Greengrass. Now…"

Several flashes of green light filled the room and a couple of goblins fell dead. Ragnok looked at the windows, and Death Eaters swung in. Unsurprisingly, the voice of Lucius Malfoy sounded out, " This is a Transgression violating the Wizard-Goblin Treaty of 1932. An attack on a Pureblood, regardless of the situation, is an attack on the Wizarding World. Surrender."

Ragnok laughed, " Surrender? To Wizards? Surely you jest. Get them boys!"

Astoria ducked as Killing Curses and crossbow bolts flew all around her. She jumped up, and ran with her head down towards a passage way she thought might lead to the exit. She ducked behind a statue to avoid Death Eaters making their way to the main battle. She ducked out, and ran full tilt towards the exit, when she ran head on into someone else who was fleeing the battle.

A woman cursed, " Why can't people watch where they are going? Wait, I recognize you."

Astoria looked down, and glared at a prone Tracey Davis, " I thought you were in America, surely you would know better than come back to Britain during this time."

Tracey glared back at Astoria, " Yeah, right. "

Astoria looked around, and some pops indicated more Death Eaters apparating in. She grabbed Tracey's wrist, " We need to get out of here. "

" Tell me about it."

Astoria grabbed the brown haired woman's arm, and drug her through the entrance of Gringotts. She explained, " We need to get to Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes, we can get out of here from there."

Tracey scowled, " The Weasleys? Why them?"

" They're the only people with a secure Floo Connection. After we get out, we can begin to look for the rest of these Horcruxes that are supposed to be such a big deal in this war."

Astoria drug her in to the WWW store, with Fred asking," What's going on?"

" Gringotts is rebelling. Lock the store down!"

Fred paled, and George immediately began to activate the wards to the store. Astoria asked, " We need to use the Floo, can we get out to the Burrow?"

Fred smirked, " Of course! Go right ahead."

Astoria grabbed a handful of Floo Powder and tossed it into the fireplace, shouting" " The Burrow!,", dragging Tracey the whole way.

( Somewhere in the Forest of Dean)

" Wow…"

Harry smiled, " I told you I knew what I was doing didn't I?"

He stood up and slung a shirt on, " Now, we need to figure out where to go next. I think Godric's Hollow might be a good idea. We need the Sword to destroy this damn Locket."

" After that, I'm not sure I want you to destroy it."

Harry laughed, " I am naturally talented at something's you know. There's just something's you can't learn in a book."

"I'd say."

Harry grabbed his wand, " Well, time to move out. Your turn to wear the locket."

" But you're so much better…"

Harry cut Hermione off, " Not this time. You've already used that on me the last three days since Ron left."


End file.
